It's great finally too to be getting this pesky controversy sorted - especially by such an authority on yachting :

"No doubt that if I spent a couple of years building a boat I'd be so sick and tired of the thing by the time it was done that all I'd want to do is sell it and move on to something else. But hey, they all seem to be enjoying the process and I am positive their boats will be built a heck of a lot better than the one we are sailing around the world in. .Notice we haven't ever met a person who is building a monohull. Seems like people have finally realized that there is no benefit to a monohull over a catamaran.

The more I read of the blog, the more i have to assume the joke is on us. No one is that stupid; I think these kids are smart Gen-Xers who see a book idea in pulling one over on the yachting stuffed shirts. The problem is, they ARE actually doing this and so are a potential hazard to navigation.

Unlike others, I think there's a good possibility they will make it in one piece - not because they are skilled navigators or able sea (persons), just because they have that starry eyed look of the lucky.

You go to the right places and you will find monohulls being built by regular folks.
There are quite a few steel boats in the works on Vancouver Island and other places in BC. WA state would also be a good place to look, and although I have not been to Auckland in a few years I am sure I could find folks building boats.
Michael

Well I have just right now been watching our evening TV new's and saw the couple that just got rescued in the Pacific. The Husband was badly hurt and the Wife vowed she would never go to sea ever again. They got rolled over in horrendouse sea's and was dismasted. Another reminder and warning to the nieve, that it can and does happen all to frequently out there.

And that's the most important point I think we are all hinging around in comments within this series. Yes It can happen to anyone. No matter how experianced. The couple that were rescued yesterday were both experianced, but the Guy was a very seasoned sailor with many world circ's under his belt and many years at sea. Yet they got caught and things went terribly wrong. So experiance won't top a situation. What the experiance in this case did do, Was it saved their lives in that situation. They new what to do and how to do it and when to do it. The result was, they came through it alive.

Well Alan, but you don't necessarily need to be very experienced. You need to practice emergency situations. Exprience helps, but practice keeps you up-to-date.

I own a small inshore power boat and I practice a lot of MOB and just putting my life vest on situations. I do it alone and with my friends when they come along.

I do it because I am aware that most fatal or severe accidents happen with this kind of boats. And I do it so I know how to do it and can instruct others when the time comes (hopefully it will never come).

I see it as the skipper's/owner obligation to be prepared for the worst, even if you have never experience such a thing.

I hope they are prepared at leat for the basics, as for me it would never cross my mind to go on such a trip without simulating and practicing (on a strick timely basis) all the safety measures and manouvres that can be needed some day...

Mario, you have demonstrated both experiance and common sense. Experiance is not a measure of the years one has been at Sea, experiance is the measure of understanding the possible and probable Perils that can be presented to us and the ability of carrying out the neccesary safety measures to deal with those Perils. Painting a Danbouy (or MOB flag) demonstrates to me that someone is terribly ignorant of the possible Perils AND that they demonstrate and ingnorance as to the safety measures required to when faced with a dangerouse situation. And you know what the sadest outcome is going to be?? this couple is going to make it around safe and sound due to one hell of a lot of luck. And then they are going to thumb their noses at us and say haha, you know nothing. And then someone else is going to go out into the big blue yonder trusting in the words of the foolish and end up being a victim. It's that old saying of "the blind leading the blind"

Seems to me they have learned quite a bit and have come a long way in there education since they have started out. Im sure its a lot more than all luck that has gotten them this far & surely they have learned a lot from there mistakes or close calls .

I know I have made many mistakes on the water and off in my life and some , have been close calls and other have just been expensive learning lessons.

i don't think you will get any disagreement on that score (i.e., that we've all made plenty of mistakes and have much still to learn). but if you've read the logs, you couldn't help but be concerned by what seems like blissful ignorance on this couple's part. they don't seem to WANT to learn about their boat's systems - whether it be wind instruments, winches, safety equipment or the splicing on the anchorrode.